The Mummy 3: Merserqet
by Hannalore Dayne
Summary: Now Finished! * Ardeth Bay has fallen in love. But when she betrays him and poses a threat to everything he holds dear, he must work with the O'Connells once more to prevent the destruction of the world by an evil that is only partly unfamiliar.
1. Sickness

It's not finished, I'm working on it… it is perhaps halfway done ****

All Done! Be happy.

Rated: PG-13 for KISSY-FACE!!! OOH! Perhaps a bit more, as well… And I think maybe one or three swear words, said by Rick, of course. We know how he is (AND WE DON'T LIKE IT).

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Note: I am a little unhappy with this story because I feel that it runs to quickly and more than a little unevenly. (constructive criticism welcomed) A medium part of this is caused by the fact that I can't write fight scenes. Yes, I know they stink, just ignore it… Since I am SO unhappy here, it's just polite of you to say nice things to boost my ego…J/K… I have this tentative sequel in mind, too. Flames are now accepted as variety. Keep in mind, I LOVE arguing with people that have differing opinions from me… *evil grin*

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Note 2: I used to call Ardeth Apocalypse Man when I first saw him and didn't know who he was. Little inside joke there. And Merserqet is really Egyptian, too. It literally means "beloved of the scorpion goddess". Aren't you proud of me? … As a note to all you Evy-Rick 'shippers, I have changed my mind over the last few months. I no longer perfunctorily believe in Evy/Rick's eternal love. I now am a devout disciple of the Ardeth-and-Evy-are-meant-to-be-together Cult. I have 2 tiny moments in TMR that I believe prove my point, though it is probably just over-obsessing and Ardeth-starvation. I will not go into detail about those moments. If you really want to hear me ramble about them, review or something.

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Disclaimer: I do not own any of these characters except for Ashëla and Merserqet… (and the camel vendor) However, I do own the personality that I gave Ardeth in this story, simply because I need to own SOMETHING of Ardeth!!! * deep breath * I'm fine. No, really. I am. What, don't you believe me?

Ardeth gasped and pulled away from the kiss, feeling terrifyingly out of control. Ashëla smiled, a pleasant sight in her perfect heart-shaped face, and slid her arms around his neck, giving him a moment to compose himself. He caressed her face and said in breathless wonder, "I still cannot believe… that someone… like _you_…" he gestured toward her, not quite sure of what he was trying to say. Ashëla smiled again and pushed him gently toward her gauze-draped bed, saying, "Would what? Love… you?" She kissed him lingeringly, further destroying his coherent thought. "But I do… darling." He was too busy feeling her kisses to notice that the inflection on _darling_ was just a bit ominous.

He relaxed his hold on his self-discipline and leaned back on his elbows as she gently lay him down. Her wrists massaged his sides as she walked herself with her hands until she was directly above him. Long hair dripping everywhere, Ashëla bent down to kiss him again. He barely felt it as his cape unfastened and fell to the bed behind him. As enjoyable as this experience was, he was starting to feel uneasy. He tried to ignore it, kissing her more animatedly, but after a minute or so he opened his eyes. "Wait," he said, knowing he sounded a little ridiculous, but just as sure that his intuition was trying to tell him something. "Something is not right." He looked out the window behind him, wondering if there was something amiss outside. The street was hot and tranquil, as it always was, with a few lazy melon vendors dragging their heavy carts along the road.

When he looked back, Ashëla had a knife in her hand, pulled up to strike. "Ashëla!" he gasped. She twisted her lovely lips in a silent snarl and stabbed at him, lightning quick. Just as quickly he rolled aside, deflecting her arm so that she stabbed her bed-post. Furiously she tugged at it, giving him time to stand up and circle to the other side of the room. She ripped her knife out of the wood and spun to face him. Ardeth was unconsciously crouched in a fighting position. "Why are you doing this, Ashëla?" he asked her tightly. She grinned. It was not a pleasant grin this time. "Pharoah's bodyguards are said to be the most elite fighters in the world… yet you love as would a child, innocent and far too trusting, _love_." Ardeth blinked, momentarily stunned. She was speaking in Ancient Egyptian. "You did not sense at all that I do not love you?" she asked rhetorically, bitingly. The scorn in her voice burned him, twisting his heart pitilessly. 

Taking his surprise and pain as an opportunity, Ashëla threw her knife at him. Despite his sudden turmoil, he caught the hilt and without thinking turned it and threw it back at her. It struck perfectly, thudding into her heart. She fell to her knees, showing no pain, just hate. Ardeth could not move, stunned that he had just killed the woman he loved, stunned that she had betrayed him. As her perfect, sun-dusted skin turned pale, she clenched her teeth and whispered in the Old Tongue, "Death… is only the beginning…" Ardeth's eyes widened in horror as something a sickly blue-silver oozed out of her skin. It tore itself free of her, rising as she fell to the floor. He took a step back towards the door as a face appeared in the muddy, translucent spirit. His vision was beginning to cloud over just a little, his brain short-circuiting from this sudden rush of information and actions that he did not understand. He gasped as he recognized the delicate, oval face and thin nose of Anck-su-namun. The eyeless ghost smiled ironically at him and floated up, soaking through the ceiling. "No…" he whispered, not believing this turn of events. Suddenly his overloaded, agonized mind snapped. "No!" he shouted, opening and running through the door to Ashëla's- or Anck-su-namun's- room.

Rick rummaged through a drawer in his and Evy's room, looking for a rock they'd collected that was actually _worth_ something. A glitter of gold caught his attention, a fist-sized rock nestled in with the other fifty or so. He took it out and held it up to the light. It sparkled eye-pleasingly. "What do you think, hon?" he asked Evy, who was sorting books on their small, personal shelf. She turned around, making his heart stop, the way it always did when confronted with his wife's beauty. One of these days he was going to have a heart attack. "Is it worth something?" She tipped her glasses down and looked at it. Then she laughed. "No, darling, I'm afraid what you've got there is a nice large chunk of pyrite- fool's gold." Rick sighed and dropped it back into the drawer. "I guess that makes me a fool, then, huh?" He grinned, then squinted at the rocks. "Evy, are any of these things worth a single dollar?" She wormed a book into a small open slot and shrugged. "Maybe. But their primary worth is their historical value. I picked up each of those at a different burial site of a different king. They might be able to tell us something about the time periods those men lived in." She put the last book on the shelf and came over to stand next to Rick.

"But, honey, they're not labeled," he noticed. "How do you tell which is which?" She came over to put an arm around his waist and pointed to the pyrite. "I found that in the wall near the coffin of Amonhotep II." She moved her finger to indicate a small piece of obsidian. "That was deep underground, in the caves underneath the Giza pyramids. And that," she pointed to a lovely little shard of reddish stone, "that fell off of that beautiful carved chair we found in the annex of Ramses III's tomb. Remember?" Rick shook his head in wonder. "You're amazing, baby." He was just about to kiss her appreciatively when he heard the door close loudly, not quite slamming. Quick feet were already padding up the stairs to the second level. 

"Hello?" called Rick. "Who's there?" In reply to his question, a familiar Med-jai chief came swirling into the room. "Ardeth?" He got no answer as the dark man strode this way and that, not going anywhere and not, apparently, trying to. Suddenly he turned sharply to face the confused O'Connells. "My friends, I- need your help." Rick shrugged. "Anything. What do you need?" Then he reconsidered. "_Except_ mummies. None of those, okay? Because-" Ardeth interrupted him. Rick doubted if he had even heard what he had said.

"I am not…" he exhaled roughly. Rick noticed that the man's face was shiny with sweat, even though it was a relatively cool night. "I do not- I'm not sure what to do, I-" he stared, wild-eyed, at Evy, then at Rick. Suddenly he doubled over as if he had been stabbed in the stomach. "No-" he gasped out in a pained voice. Fingers shaking, he fumbled in his robes as he fell to one knee. "No!" he said again, as his worried friends watched, at a loss. Out from under the black cloth he brought a dagger and raised it quickly, seconds away from ending his own life. Rick reacted first and leaped toward him, only a split second before Evy. Together they wrested the dagger from his struggling hands and threw it to one side. Ardeth cried out in rage and anguish, fighting off his friends and running out of the room. Evy and Rick glanced at each other in concern and rushed after him, just in time to see him standing on their balcony, ready to jump.

"Whoa!" shouted Rick and rushed to the Med-jai chief's side. Evy, terrified now, caught his other arm and together they pulled a wildly resistant Ardeth off of the railing. The sick Arab twisted violently and in vain, fighting as if the O'Connells were Imhotep and his minions. He clenched his teeth in pain and jerked one arm free of Evy's gasp. Futilely, he stretched it up and screamed in his native tongue, "For God's sake, _let me die_!" Rick ignored him, grabbing his arms and holding them together. Ardeth abruptly stopped struggling, falling into a sudden near-unconsciousness. Rick glanced at Evy, who was shaken at Ardeth's expression of violent self-hate. She placed the back of her hand on his damp forehead. "He's got a fever," she told Rick, disturbed. "Let's get him to the bed." Haphazardly they dragged the muttering, half-delirious Ardeth into their room and heaved him onto the thickly blanketed bed.

Anxiously the couple looked at each other, unsure of the next step. Alex trotted into the room. "Mum…" he started. He broke off as he spotted Ardeth. "Mum… that's the man who told me I had caused the apocalypse, isn't it?" Evy bit her lip and nodded, crossing over to hug her son. "Yes, darling, it is." Alex frowned, finding it hard to believe that the sickly, pale man on his parents' bed was the same fiery, ominous Med-jai. "Well, what's wrong with him?" He demanded. Evy smiled sadly. "I… don't know," she said softly. She stood up and looked at Rick. "I'll go call a doctor." She disappeared out of the room.


	2. Change

A woman in medical clothes was alone with Ardeth

A woman in medical clothes was alone with Ardeth. She was drawing blood from his arm, slowly filling a little canister. She finished and withdrew the needle, storing the canister in her black bag. Cleaning the needle, she got out another canister and began drawing blood again. Suddenly, her patient's eyes snapped open. She started in surprise as he grabbed her arm. "What are you doing?" he asked in a deadly voice. Foggily, he blinked to clear his eyes, giving no outward sign of the vertigo he felt. The doctor smiled. "I need some of your blood for… tests. Don't worry, I didn't take too much." She finished her second canister and held it up for him to see. "There's plenty more where that came from." Something in the way she said that made him shiver.

She quickly packed the canister and started cleaning the needle again. Ardeth sat up, coming more awake. He felt terrible, as if he had just finished walking through the desert for a whole day with no water. He frowned thoughtfully, glancing at the woman, whose back was turned. She looked very familiar, but he really couldn't place her. "You're fever's gone," she said, turning around. "You'll be fine in a matter of days. Just rest up!" She picked up her bag and headed for the door, on her way bumping into Rick and Evy, who had just entered. Rick touched her shoulder. He didn't notice that she curled her lip in slight revulsion to his touch. "How is he?" the adventurer asked. She quickly pulled her shoulder away and, about to speak, was interrupted by Evy's "Oh! You're awake! Wonderful." She pushed past the doctor and hurried to where Ardeth had gotten up from the bed. Instinctively she hugged him in delight. He blinked, startled, but as she pulled away, he gave her a little half-smile. No one noticed that the doctor had quietly slipped away with no payment.

Evy put an arm around Rick as Ardeth straightened up. The look he gave the O'Connells was very serious. "My… deepest apologies, my good friends. I…" he closed his eyes in momentary pain. "I have something to tell you…" Rick and Evy listened intently, apprehensively. "Anck-su-namun has returned."

The doctor parked her rented car on the side of the road by the hotel. Grabbing her bag, she fumbled excitedly with the door and opened it, hurrying out of the car. She trotted into the building, ignoring the bellboy's offer to help, and ascended the stairs to her level. She rummaged in the bag for her keys, hissing as she accidentally came in contact with the uncapped needle. Finding her keys, she opened the door to her room. Inside, everything was the way it had been when she'd rented the room. In fact, she'd hardly used it at all. She locked the door and turned the bag upside-down on the counter, spilling out all of the contents. Impatience getting the best of her, she quickly picked up the first container of Ardeth's blood. She held it up to the light, laughing hatefully. She continued to chuckle as she flipped open the lid of the container. Closing her eyes, she sniffed the canister briefly, sighing in pleasure at the familiar odor. Then she tipped the contents into her mouth and swallowed.

After a moment of pregnant silence, she stumbled backwards, half-falling onto her bed. Gasping in growing pain, she squeezed her eyes shut tight against the sensation that came seconds later. She tried not to scream as her soul was ripped from her body and brought into contact with the air. The spirit twisted and convulsed, shuddering into a slightly different countenance. It dived back into her limp form, flexing and thrusting the skin painfully into a different shape. Just seconds later, the doctor no longer, Ardeth Bay stood up from the bed and shook himself (herself?), trying to be rid of the aftereffects of the metamorphosis. He/she looked in the mirror, touching the odd tattoos briefly in puzzlement. Then, satisfied, "Ardeth" walked out of the room, turning off the light behind him.

"No."

Evy came up behind him and hugged his neck. "Well, why not?" Rick gently lifted her arms and turned to face her seriously. She countered by kissing him. "I love you," she said affectionately. "Mhmm," Rick said tolerantly. "And I love staying _alive_." He walked out of their room, knowing that a battle with his wife face-to-face would soon end with him losing. "Alex!" he called, trying to distract Evy. She followed him out and said, "Rick, we have to! We've done it before-" Rick turned and held up his hands. "Lemme stop you right there. _That_ is exactly what I am saying. We _have_ done it before, you're right. So, we're done. That's it. We've already saved the world twice, okay? I think we've just about paid our dues." Evy looked at him with those gorgeous eyes, pouting a little. He blinked distractedly. "There is no way in hell I'm going near this stuff again," he said warningly. Evy continued to pout, saying nothing. They stared at each other for a long moment.

Rick yanked at the clutch, in a sour mood, shaking his head. "How did I let you talk me into this?" he asked rhetorically, wheeling out of their driveway towards the general direction of the airport. Alex leaned forward, craning his neck to see his father. "Because Mum made the Pouty Face," he replied matter-of-factly. "You _always_ say yes to the Pouty Face." He looked back at Evy. "She told me so." Evy smiled sheepishly and put a hand over her child's mouth, dragging him back to his seat. Ardeth, on the other side of Alex, shook his head. "You three are the strangest family I have ever had the dubious privilege to meet." Alex bowed as well as one can bow while sitting in a car and said, "Why, thank you, Apocalypse Man." Startled, Ardeth stared at Alex, then began to laugh. Soon, he was laughing wholeheartedly, glad to have a lightening of the intense depression he had been feeling. Alex looked from Ardeth to his smiling mother. "What?" he asked, a little confused. "What'd I say?"


	3. Ardeth. vs. Ardeth

Evy looked intently at each bazaar stall that they passed, looking for one in particular

Evy looked intently at each bazaar stall that they passed, looking for one in particular. She always felt happy in a market like this, with all the gauze and brightly colored cloth, music and jewelry… walking through the markets of Cairo, she truly felt like Egypt was home. Ardeth walked beside her, helping her look but not saying anything. Evy didn't feel comfortable being with people who wouldn't talk. Although she knew that she probably shouldn't pry, she asked anyway, "So, um… how exactly did you _meet_ this- Ashëla?" Ardeth looked at her sharply, his face tightening at the unexpected mention of his dead love. "Ashëla…" he said, half to himself. He sighed sharply and looked at Evy, who looked back in concern. 

"I met Ashëla in a bazaar near here… I had given my men a week of free time, and I felt inclined to buy a new Gatling- I broke my last one on a man's head, you see. The fool was trying to kill me!" he laughed at the man's impudence. Evy gulped and nodded. "Well, I was heading towards the gunman's stall, and there she was." He smiled so sadly that Evy felt tears in her eyes. "She was… so beautiful." He reached out a hand to caress a face that wasn't there. Evy felt a lump in her throat. "Like a newborn day. She… told me that she liked my look and offered… to meet me for dinner that night. After that, it went quickly. We were only together a few days, but I fell… in love." The way he said it, it sounded almost as if he was surprised at this fact. "It isn't hard for me to fall in love." He smiled bitterly. "It doesn't take me long. I thought… that she loved me as well. Two nights before the last, she… ah…" he looked at Evy, a little uncomfortable. She looked back, a picture of innocence. He cleared his throat and glanced away from her as he continued. 

"She asked me to… come inside." He brushed past a tall, fat man who was loudly advertising rope baskets. "I agreed… the next thing I knew, she was trying to kill me. I killed her," he said as quickly as he could, trying to get past that fact. "I had to," he said by way of explanation. Evy said nothing, trying not to react. "I grew… sick, I suppose. I did not eat or drink. Or sleep, at all. And my mind was…" he gestured nebulously in the air, which did all the describing that was needed. "I think I was very sick. The only semi-conscious thought that I can remember was that I had to warn you and Rick about Anck-su-namun…" He shook his head, obviously hating that he had been so out of control. "I do not remember how I ended up in London. The rest, you know." He pursed his lips, looking at her apologetically. Evy put a sympathetic hand on his shoulder, feeling simply awful for her friend.

Several feet back, Rick and Alex had stopped to admire a booth full of complicated wood-and-metal puzzles. Alex picked up a winding thing that looked to Rick like an over-polished knot, and quickly started working his fingers through it. Rick watched in amazement as his son, in just a few seconds, undid one of the world's hardest puzzles- or so it seemed to Rick. "There, you see?" said Alex proudly. "Simple." Rick ruffled Alex's hair. "That's just great, son! That's amazing- hey, Evy, come take a look at this!" There was no reply. Still intent on his son's work, he looked up. No one was there. "Evy?" He squinted ahead, but he couldn't see Ardeth or Evy anywhere in the mass of people. He turned around and saw Ardeth walking up to him from the other side. "Oh, hey, Ardeth. Where's Evy?" Ardeth gave him a long, hard look and spoke oddly. "Your wife." Rick looked at him disbelievingly. Ardeth did not move. Rick rolled his eyes. "Yes, Ardeth, _my wife_. You know, the person who's been walking with you for the past twenty minutes?"

Ardeth blinked, thinking hard. Then he nodded abruptly. "I will be right back," he said intently, and disappeared into the crowd. "Wh-" Rick said, frustrated and confused with the Med-jai chief. He turned around to face the direction they had been going in and yelled as he saw Ardeth's face looming less than two inches from his own. He exhaled sharply and took a step back, bringing the dark-garbed Arab into focus. "That was quick." Ardeth cocked his head, not understanding. "My friend, you and your son fell behind. We found the shop that she," he indicated Evie, "was looking for. Come," he said, crooking two fingers and turning on his heel to walk away. Rick, noticing Evie for the first time, stopped Ardeth. 

"Where did you find Evie? Where were you, honey?" he asked his wife. Evie looked at him quizzically. "With Ardeth." Ardeth nodded affirmatively. Rick looked at him, then at Evie. "But I just _asked_ you where she was- she wasn't _here_," He said, confused and more than a little annoyed with Ardeth. Ardeth shook his head without taking his eyes off of Rick. "No you didn't." Rick nodded exaggeratedly. "Yes, I-" he stopped. "Okay. You know what? Never mind. Somehow, I just don't want to know. Just… never mind." He put a hand on his puzzle-engrossed son's shoulder. "C'mon, Alex, let's go." Alex looked up. "What? Okay. Hey, Mum, look what I did!" He showed her the puzzle. She smiled at her precocious son. "That's amazing, darling, it really is. Now let's put it back and go find my shop, all right?" Alex nodded and skipped along with his mother while his father watched.

They continued along through the bazaar. Ardeth was about to say something to Evy, when suddenly someone began choking him from behind! Ardeth clutched at the arm around his neck, gasping and choking for breath. Evy and Rick heard his sounds and spun around to a surreal scene: Ardeth with an arm around Ardeth, trying to kill him. People around them were beginning to notice, pointing and whispering, one or two yelling for help. Evy grabbed a sword from a conveniently nearby vendor and approached the identical pair. Rick stopped her. "Evy, you might kill the real Ardeth by accident!" She bit her lip and stopped, knowing he was right. "Ardeth!" she called. They both looked up. "O'Connell!" they both shouted. Suddenly Ardeth seemed to condense and, half a second later, spring upwards and flip over Ardeth #2, causing his Doppelganger's back to crack. Ardeth screamed in pain and whirled around somewhat unsteadily, drawing his sword for battle. Ardeth did the same. Warily they circled each other.

A split second later they clashed, sword against sword, fist against fist in a desperate, crazy fight for survival. The battle was equally matched to a hair, as would be expected when fighting yourself. Ardeth sliced at his evil twin, catching him across the shoulder, but a second later, he received the same wound from the same technique. Knowing that he could not win this fight with conventional means, Ardeth grabbed Ardeth's sword arm as he stabbed and twisted it backwards so that he had to turn around. Linking arms tightly, Ardeth levered himself up the pole of a stall and flipped backwards over his twin's head, catching him off guard and landing facing him. In the time frame of a half-second, Ardeth drew back his sword and stabbed his Doppelganger in the stomach, to the cries of shock and anger in the growing crowd. 

The false Ardeth stared up at him, again more angry than concerned for his own health, for, when you can become anyone, what is a wound or a death? He hissed in rancor, "Death is only the beginning…" As his eyes rolled back in his head, a leering, triumphant smile slithered across his face. The same shadowy, dark soul that Ardeth had seen earlier ripped itself from its now-dead owner, gliding through the daylight like Death, evoking screams of fear from the bystanders. Recognizing the words and the spirit that now hovered just above him, Ardeth shouted in rage and sliced at the specter, to no avail. Chortling evilly, the immune soul flowed away. Ardeth fell to his knees with the force of his useless blows, coughing and muttering, "Ashëla…" Evy came forward to kneel next to him. "That… was Ashëla?" she asked anxiously.

Ardeth stood tall and watched Anck-su-namun's soul become no more than a speck in the sky. "That was the soul that departed from her when I killed her." He wiped his sword on the edge of his robe. "But that was _not_ my Ashëla." He sheathed his sword and walked slowly passed the wide-eyed Alex, who followed the disturbed Arab with his gaze. The crowd parted like water for Ardeth and his group as the shock of what had happened wore off and people began to close in on the dead Doppelganger, calling for medics or police. "Let us continue," he said to his friends quietly. "The Book of the Dead is on the other side of the city." To all outward appearances, he had already put the event behind him, but as Evy narrowed her eyes towards his back, she knew better.


	4. Grief and Deception

She watched him carefully as they rode in a taxicab to the southern part of Cairo

She watched him carefully as they rode in a taxicab to the southern part of Cairo. He acted imperious and curt, the way he always did, but she refused to believe that this man who, half an hour ago, had been so in love and hurting so much, could be over Ashëla in such a short amount of time. That night, Ardeth ordered, "We will sleep tonight. In the morning, we will discover what Ash-" he stopped for a moment, and Evy saw the suffering she knew he had been hiding. "What… this creature… is after." He turned on his heel and entered the inn to his left. Evy felt something akin to triumph in having found his buried feelings. Then she shushed the discovery-obsessed adventurer in her and held the door of the inn for her son and husband.

Evy pulled her brush through her thick brown hair and glanced through her mirror at the brilliant stars in the Egyptian sky. She smiled softly. This place was a second home to her. If Egypt wasn't around, she'd only be half a person. About to run the brush through a millionth time, her hand hovered above her head hesitantly. Ardeth was bothering her. After a moment of debating, she put down her brush resolutely and pushed her hair behind her face, getting up quietly so as not to disturb her sleeping family. She padded softly down the silent hallway to Ardeth's room. As quietly as she could, she knocked on his door. "Go away," she heard commandingly issued from behind the door. Taking that as an invitation, Evy opened the door just wide enough for her to slide through and closed it after her. "Ardeth?" she near-whispered. 

He was standing with his back to her, looking out of his open window. His powerfully built body was covered in only thin, flowing blank pants that bunched at the ankles, Arabian-style. A warm breeze was lifting his hair away from his shoulders. At her call, he growled, "Go away," in a stronger tone. Evy quickly crossed the floor and sat down on his bed. "I don't think so, my friend." She tapped her fingers together a bit nervously. "I know that something is bothering you, and I won't go away until you discuss it with me." At this, Ardeth turned and looked at her. His dark, hostile-looking face made her resolve waver just a little, but she did not move. "Nothing is bothering me." He turned and half-flung himself into a chair. His movements were depressed and angry. "Nothing." Evy waited patiently, having been in this situation with Rick many times before.

Ardeth stared at her for about two seconds, and then began to speak in a low, thick voice. "I loved her…" His throat closed up. He looked off to the side, out the window. Evy smiled sympathetically, but said nothing, sensing a Moment. He sighed shakily. "I still love her." He gave a half-laugh that was more of a bark. "You know this. I am repeating myself, am I not?" He sighed, frustrated. "It's just, I-" He struck the arm of the chair angrily. "I feel unable to stop her. She- she fooled _me._ She… _seduced_ me." The inflection of _seduced_ revealed the self-loathing he had been unwittingly cultivating. "And now, everyone is in danger because of my mistake, my misjudgment." He ran his hands through his hair and got out of the chair to stare out the window again. "And even though this haunts me, kills me every day… I…" he dropped his head helplessly, hands on the railing of the window. "I cannot stop… loving her." There was no surprise at this fact.

Evy bit her lip. She could see his shoulders start to shake, and, although he made no sound, she knew that he was crying. Something stabbed at her heart at the sight of this proud, aloof man crying like any other brokenhearted lover. She got up and walked over to him silently. The moment she put a hand on his smooth back, he stiffened as if electrified, not expecting her to touch him. He turned halfway to face her, and her heart twisted further when she saw his tear-streaked face. His teeth were clenched in a brave effort to hide his utter agony from his friend. Instinctively she opened her arms the hurting man. He fell into them without a thought, choking on the sobs that threatened to burst out of him.

She held him in her arms, putting a hand on his head and saying, "Sh, sh," as she would to Alex when he broke a toy. Ardeth shuddered and began to cry, exhausted from the effort of holding in his tears for days. "It's all right," she whispered gently, as quietly as she could. She rocked back and forth slightly, holding him tighter. "It's all right."

Ardeth threw away his last container of the original's blood, closing in on the Med-jai camp. Med-jai warriors were sitting around a huge bonfire, sharpening weapons and speaking to each other in furtive undertones. Ardeth rode up to the fire and swung off his horse with the ease of centuries of practice. His people stood and genuflected as he strode up, appearing to be enraged. "What is our duty in this life and the next?" he snarled to the warriors in Arabic. The Med-jai looked at each other, confused by their Lord's strange anger. His right hand, his under-commander, stepped forward. "Uh, my Lord-" he bowed, speaking in their language. "Our sacred and eternal duty is to protect the innocent, eliminate evil, and prevent the rise of the creature- or one like him." Ardeth nodded curtly, still "angry". "And do you think we have done well in this duty?" The same commander answered hesitantly, not wishing to displease his Lord. "Ah… yes, my Lord?" "Wrong!" Ardeth growled furiously. "This night a disaster has struck. Something so terrible as to make the very pyramids tremble. Tell me," he said abruptly to the commander. "Where do we keep the Book of the Dead?"

He waited, trying not to let his excitement show. The commander, now accustomed to his baited questions, answered without hesitation. "In the treasure vault in Cairo under the name Beni Alamehd, my Lord." Ardeth felt a rush of joy flood satanically through him and, struggling to keep up his wrathful façade, he spoke again. "And what," he seethed from between clenched teeth, "Is your guess as to whether it is still there?" The Med-jai warriors leaped up with cries of horror and rage. Ardeth held up his hand for silence and was pleased by the nearly instant response. These people respected their leader deeply. "I will ride on ahead," he told them, "for I know which way the culprit went. One travels faster than fifty." His commander nodded and started giving orders to his men to prepare. "Follow me in half an hour," Ardeth ordered. He remounted his horse and looked out one last time at the camp. "Do not fail me again." He clicked to his horse, which galloped away at top speed.

Only a few hundred acres from Cairo, Ardeth cackled with unconfined glee. Letting go of his horse's reins, he let the horse gallop as he withdrew his knife from his host's robes. He jerked cruelly on the reins, bringing the horse to a sudden stop, and held the knife to his breast. Then, considering, he suddenly smiled. He slipped the knife back in his robes and tapped Ardeth's chest. "I may have a use for you yet, my friend." He kicked the horse and headed again in the direction of the capital of Egypt.

Ardeth buried his wet face in a towel, and taking a deep breath, looked up at Evy. He placed a hand on his heart and inclined his head formally. Formality was all he had. "Thank you, Mrs. O'Connell," he intoned gently. "Please," she said, smiling, "By now you should be calling me Evy, or at least Evelyn. None of this 'Mrs. O'Connell' business." Ardeth smiled slightly. "Evelyn, then." He was about to show her to the door, when suddenly he heard faint screams from the city outside his window. He snapped around and ran to the window, squinting into the darkness to see where the commotion was coming from. He hissed in apprehension. "The treasure vault." He looked back at Evy, who knew what that meant as well. "The Book!" she whispered. Having had the same thought, he ran to his robe and threw it on.

They met Rick out in the hall as he came out of the O'Connells' room. He looked from Evy to Ardeth, who had not had time to buckle his robe and had left it draped hurriedly. "You heard it too," he said seriously. They nodded, unanimously coming to a silent decision. Evy started for their room, saying, 'I'll get my coat. Meet me out front." Ardeth and Rick quickly descended the stairs.


	5. Escape

Ardeth strode up to the crowd, followed closely by Rick and Evy on either side

Ardeth strode up to the crowd, followed closely by Rick and Evy on either side. Egyptian officials were everywhere, holding people back from the door of the vault building and calming down frightened vault guards. A policeman noticed Ardeth and shouted unbelievingly, "There he is!" He ran over with another cop to restrain Ardeth, who stopped considerately and took in with bewildered eyes the alarmed reaction of the policemen to his appearance. "Well, well," said the first policeman, holding a gun to his neck, "Look who's back. Vault number two hundred and sixteen has been robbed and there are three dead policemen on the grounds. Would you care to explain?" Evy started forward in alarm at the gun. Ardeth would have protested more physically as well, but there was a gun to his neck. Mildly, he looked at the men holding him. "I am not responsible," he said calmly. The policeman pushed the gun farther into his skin, closing off a bit of his windpipe. "Don't even try, buddy. We have dozens of witnesses-" he gestured with his other hand to the intrigued, dismayed crowd, "-that say _you_ robbed this vault. Who am I to disagree with all of them?" He grinned unpleasantly. "Just tell me where you stashed the goods, and maybe I won't kill you."

Evy stepped forward indignantly. "Gentlemen, please! There is no need for all of this! This man was with us all night." Rick nodded. The officer glanced at Evy. "If that's what you say, then we'll have to take you both into custody as well." Ardeth was beginning to get angry, working himself up to express himself more vehemently. Then suddenly his eyes widened in shocked realization. "Ashëla…" he murmured inaudibly. Then his eyes narrowed resolutely. He jerked his head forward, causing the officer to reflexively shoot- hitting the policeman holding Ardeth's other arm. He shook free of the now-dead man and knocked the gun out of the other officer's hand. He almost didn't notice another twenty or so guns click, ready to fire into him, but when he did, he realized he was outnumbered. "Run!" he shouted in Arabic to confuse the officers. Rick and Evy couldn't understand his words, but they understood his meaning just fine. They all turned and ran as hard as they could, wincing every time a bullet shattered the bricks in the road at their heels.

They turned a corner and continued to run. As they came to a three-way split, Ardeth said, "Go! Get your son and meet me outside the northern city. We'll go on from there!" He started running along the right-hand path. "Ardeth!" called Evy. Rick yanked on her arm to get her running. "No time, honey," he yelled. "Gotta go!" They ran down the middle road, not stopping to see if anyone was behind them. Evy almost stopped when she heard a shot to her right, but she kept going at Rick's insistence. She ran wildly, her heart pounding in her chest and a cramp starting to form in her side. She could hear feet quite a ways behind them, but that sound kept her full of fear-produced adrenaline. Rick led her all over the quarter, taking detours whenever he could. Evy puffed, trying hard to keep up, and just when she thought she couldn't run anymore, they were in front of the inn. "C'mon!" Rick said, and dashed inside to collect Alex.

When they got to the second level, Alex was already outside, fully dressed. "Mum, Dad!" he said anxiously. "I heard gunfire. What's going on?" Rick ruffled his hair as Evy went in to get their things. "The police are chasing us, son. Look at you, all ready to go. That's my boy." Alex stared at his father. "What did we do?" Rick shook his head dismissively. "They think we robbed vault two-sixteen," he said, catching the bag that Evy threw to him from the doorway suddenly. As they pounded down the stairs, Alex said, "You mean they think we robbed our own vault?!" Rick laughed. "When you put it that way, it sounds so stupid," he said a bit sarcastically. At the top of the stairs, Evy had a thought, and rushed into Ardeth's room. She surveyed it quickly. There was nothing in it except for his turban and swords. She rolled her eyes, muttering about material needs, and grabbed the swords. Finding no room to carry the turban, she plopped it on her head and ran out to join her impatient boys.

Rick eyed her new costume. "_O_kay…" he said. She shrugged and they ran. Halfway down the street, Rick imprudently dug in his pack, still running, and brought out a knife and some money. "What…?" Evy asked as they flew down the street. Up ahead was a camel seller, about to close up so late at night. As they passed, Rick cut loose two camels and threw some money at the surprised man tending them. "Oh," said Evy as Rick hoisted her up on a camel with Alex. They rode away, at least twice as fast as they could have on foot, and headed for the north end of the city. "I think I paid him too much," yelled Rick to Evy. Happy shouts echoed through the cobbled alley. "Yep," he yelled with a grin.

Outside the city, they wheeled around, searching for Ardeth. After just a few minutes, he rode out, a few feet away, and quickly trotted to meet them on his own camel. "How did you-?" asked Rick incredulously. Ardeth shrugged. "There was a man selling camels near the edge of the city. I persuaded him to give me one." Rick shot him a look. "You didn't hurt him, did you, Ardeth?" Ardeth made a noncommittal sound. "He did not feel any pain, no." Evy rolled her eyes. "Men," she said disgustedly. Ardeth took his swords from her, inclining his head appreciatively, and, noticing where his turban ended up, twisted his lips so as not to smile. He plucked his turban off her head and put it on. "Thank you," he said wryly. He wheeled to face the northeast. "We will ride from here to Heliopolis," he said authoritatively. Rick kicked his camel lightly to get it moving slowly. "What's in Heliopolis?" he asked. "People that are not looking for us," replied Ardeth, also kicking his camel. "Dik dik dik!" Evy said to hers. They swiftly rode away from the city.

Riding across the desert without stopping, they soon became tired. The sand seemed to go on and on forever. The sun slowly crept up and absorbed the night, signaling a new day. Within no less than an hour, Heliopolis came into view. "Finally," said Alex sleepily. Evy kissed his head and snapped the reins lightly, urging her camel to go just a little faster. They rode on, heartened by the plain view of the sprawling city. Once inside the city, Rick tipped a hired boy extra to make sure he didn't steal the camels. The small, thin boy led the three beasts off, skipping and humming an ancient Israeli hymn. Straightening up, Rick wiped the sweat from his brow, cursing the morning sun silently. "Let's find an inn with a bar this time," he said exhaustedly.

Ardeth sat down uneasily at the bar between Rick and Evy. He looked down at the badly sanded wood, hardly hearing Evy say, "Go on up to bed, now, Alex." The outraged boy protested shrilly, "But Mum, it's seven in the morning!" Evy sighed and closed her eyes. "I know, sweetie, but you didn't get very much sleep last night. Now go to bed, all right?" "All right," he said sulkily, and scuffed his feet on the short stairs to the second level of this inn. He dragged his hand along the railing of the open hallway. "But I won't enjoy it," he called rebelliously. "Probably won't even sleep at all." "All right," said Evy tolerantly, opening her eyes. "I'll just lie on the bed and stare at the ceiling, that's what I'll do," he continued. Realizing that his mother was too tired to care if he actually slept or not, his scowl deepened and he disappeared into the hall. Ardeth noticed none of this, his wearied mind running monotonously over the same thought: What was he going to do?

"What are we going to do?" asked Evy disconsolately. Ardeth shook his head to both uncertainty and the bartender offering him a drink. "I don't know," he said dejectedly. "I have no idea." He looked at the persistent bartender, too confused to be annoyed. "No, thank you. I need my wits about me right now, need to think…" he was mostly talking to himself, trying to force his mind past the blank wall he couldn't think through. "Need to think." Evy whistled slightly, raising her eyebrows at what she took for his dedication. "Ardeth, you of all of us need to relax. Just one drink won't do you any harm. Just take the drink," she cajoled. Ardeth looked at her, then at the invitingly smiling bartender, then at the proffered shot glass.


	6. Drink

Drink

Several shot glasses later, Rick said, "I'm going to go check on Alex." He had had as much to drink as Ardeth and Evy, but his tolerance was much higher. Such tolerance came from years of heavy drinking. He stood up, stretching, and plodded up the stairs to go see how his son was doing. Ardeth's head felt far too heavy, hanging down and almost touching the table. He couldn't remember his head ever being heavy before, but he couldn't lift it up again, either. Evy turned to face him. "So," she said, completely drunk, "What brings you to Egypt?" Ardeth slowly turned his weighty head to look at her, oddly sideways due to his current angle. "I live here," he told her, confused. She elaborated, "Well, what I _mean_ is… why do you stay out there in the desert?" She gestured somewhere off to her right. "What are you really here for?" She leaned in conspiratorially, as if his reason for staying in Egypt was a secret. He almost laughed. She really couldn't see? He waved his hand, glancing at it briefly. It wouldn't move right, flopping around. "My father was a warrior of God. And his father, and his father, and all of their fathers… I am one as well. We stay in the desert to…" he sat tall, repeating his task from rote memorization, "To protect the innocent… eliminate evil, and prevent the rise of the creature _or_-" he paused, holding up one finger, "One like him." Evy nodded exaggeratedly. "I know _that_ part… but why don't you, well… _fight_ like other men? With your swords and your…" she pantomimed unclearly. "Et cetera."

He pursed his lips at her. Her curious face was vibrating slowly, which was odd, because she wasn't moving at the same time. "I…" he hated it when people classified him as different simply because of his culture. "I may not be… _American_," he spat, "or English, but… but I… am _proud_ of what I am!" He finished, satisfied, and emptied yet another glass. The room sharpened suddenly and then went fuzzy again, making his eyes water. Visions of the grand Med-jai danced through his hazy head. He was indeed proud to be one of them. He also had no idea that Evy was getting déjà vu. "And what exactly _are_ you, Mr. Ardeth Bay?" she asked, raising her eyebrows in a question. Ardeth thought for a moment. His mind went blank. Then the past week's horrors welled up and he saw himself clearly in his mind. "I…" he began. He shivered a little. The room was suddenly cold. "Nothing," he said a little too loudly. "I am nothing!" he held up his glass for a refill. When it was full, he plunked it down and dropped his head, dragging in a breath that was a ragged half-sob. "Nothing…" he whispered. He lifted his glass and drank deeply, warming himself again.

He turned his head and brushed his hair away from his face. Evy was trying to smile sympathetically, but she had no idea how he felt, and had forgotten to put her eyes in the smile. He looked at her, that perfect heart-shaped face… something matched itself up in his head and suddenly he didn't feel drunk anymore. "I am going to kiss you, Mrs. O'Connell," he said seriously, to give her fair warning. He leaned forward, impatient to hold his love, as he had not so much as seen her in many days. Closing his eyes, he kissed her softly. He could not know that the inebriated Evy had fully expected him to pass out. The gentle kiss lasted for some seconds, filling Ardeth with tranquility at being reunited with his heart's desire once more. 

The feeling lasted until Evy delicately bit his lower lip, testing gently. Abruptly he no longer felt tranquil. Seizing her face in his hands, he half stood, bending his head to kiss her hotly. She responded in kind, meeting his appetite with a ferocity he would not have thought the gentle librarian capable of. Evy's hands were splayed on either side of his neck, kissing her beloved husband for all she was worth. So intent were they on the ghostly images they saw in each other, neither noticed as Rick walked out onto the balcony. He froze, watching his wife and his friend in total shock. He did not feel angry or sad or even surprised. He felt absolutely nothing. Stiffly, he walked back off the balcony, closing his eyes momentarily against tears that threatened to destroy his blessed blankness.

Half an hour or so later, Evy stumbled unsteadily into their room. "I don't feel good," she whispered, and collapsed on the floor. "Evy," Rick said and rushed to her side. He felt her forehead and thankfully caressed her hair, relieved that she had just passed out. For one crazy moment he had thought that Ardeth poisoned her or something equally ridiculous. He picked her up effortlessly and placed her tenderly in bed next to their sleeping son. He walked over to a chair and sat down. Only then did he allow the crashing realization to hit him. He squeezed his eyes shut, but could not stop salt tears from welling out. He quickly opened his eyes, because in that unending blackness, he felt totally lost. The same way he felt now, looking at his unconscious wife, now that the one thing that he had been sure was stable in his life had disintegrated.

Ardeth jerked himself upright, eyes opening as his near-nightmare woke him unkindly. The quickness of his movement stabbed at his head and he gasped, doubling over. He brought up his knees and climbed out of the bed, holding his throbbing head in his hands. Unsteadily he walked over to his tiny bathroom sink and filled a cracked china bowl with water. He leaned over it, intending to wash his face, but his legs chose that moment to give out and he fell face-first into the bowl, which tipped and spilled water all over him. Although he had been sufficiently awakened, this was not exactly the manner he had chosen. He glared at the offending bowl and picked it up. Tossing it aside, he pulled himself up and, groaning, made his way over to a towel, in the process falling shakily into the door. Thoroughly annoyed, he grumbled and looked at himself in the mirror, damp and dark-faced from the water incident.

Seeing his reflection reminded him somehow of his dream. Then he blinked and his mouth dropped open slightly. "Allah!" he hissed and strode out into the main room. Had to think, had to understand- why? Why, why? He knew that pacing frantically was not helping his headache, but he was not thinking clearly just now. Nor had he been last night, apparently. He cursed alcohol and vowed never to take it again. He shook his head roughly, making the already overly bright lights in the room dance around his eyes, and headed agitatedly for the door. He pulled it open just in time to see Rick about to knock. "Rick!" he gasped in surprise and distress. He pulled him inside, closing the door as if to shut out a demon. "Rick, I had a terrible dream, I-" he resumed pacing as Rick stood watching. Evy's husband had been about to speak, but suddenly he had a feeling he wouldn't need to.

Ardeth took a deep breath and stopped pacing, making clear his trembling, both from too much drink and horror. "The dream, I- I woke up, and it wasn't! A dream, I mean, it wasn't- oh," he moaned, running his hands through his hair. "Rick, I-" he closed his eyes in anguish. "I think I k-kissed Evelyn." The silence in the room after that statement was painful. Ardeth stood, chest rising and falling as Rick looked at him. "Rick?" Ardeth asked anxiously. Rick blinked. He was tempted to say nothing at all and prolong Ardeth's suffering, but he also felt a little sorry for this man who obviously had gotten himself in way too deep. "You think," Rick said. His voice cracked, but he cleared his throat. "You _think_ you kissed Evelyn?" He had told himself he wouldn't be angry, that he wouldn't yell at Ardeth, but all of that was going to hell as his rage built up.

Rick looked off to one side, giving a short, ironic laugh. "He _thinks_ he kissed my wife. He's not sure." He looked back at Ardeth, who involuntarily took a step back from the fury in Rick's eyes. "Well I sure as hell am!" He clenched his fists, then unclenched them, trying to be calm. It wasn't working. "What the hell did you think you were doing?" he asked in a very quiet voice. Breathe, he thought. Just breathe. He clenched his fists again. Ardeth shook his head, swallowing. "I don't… know," he near whispered, trying to think of some way to pacify Rick, who shook his head. "My friend," -At the moment, that was stretching things- "you'll need to give me more than that." Ardeth let out a frustrated breath and looked at him half-pleadingly. What could he say? Rick felt that question clearly in the air. He looked at Ardeth and unclenched his hands one more time. "Tell me… what happened," he tried. He didn't want to hear, didn't want to listen, but… the small part of him that wasn't angry and hurt felt that he owed it to Ardeth, for their friendship and the times they had shared. It was the only thing that kept Rick from knocking the brains out of his friend.

Ardeth drew a great breath. "We drank. You were there. So rare- so rare is the occasion that I drink that when I do, I… I go-" he gestured around his face, closing his eyes briefly for emphasis. "We talked. Of my past as a Med-jai… I saw her as my- as…" This was quite difficult for him, and in other circumstances, Rick might have been sympathetic. "I saw- I thought that she- I thought she was Ashëla," he barely got out. Suddenly he realized what he had said. Rick did not fully understand the impact of those words on Ardeth himself as he heard them spoken aloud. To Rick, Ardeth had given him a general, barely acceptable excuse. He could see the logic, but he didn't want to acknowledge the speech. Ardeth looked around wildly for a moment, then went absolutely calm. "Rick," he said quietly. Rick cocked his head, not trusting his voice or anger. "I have to leave." Rick raised his eyebrows slightly. That was fine with him. His anger was beginning to subside a little bit. At least Ardeth hadn't told him he was in love with Evy. "I think I begin to understand the danger I pose in being here." He looked down, trying to figure out what he wanted to say. Rick's breathing came slower, and his tense shoulders began to loosen just a little. 

"This… this lingering feeling for the woman who betrayed me is… clouding my judgement, interfering with the way I see things. I think it is best if I… go away, at least for a while. I hope this is not causing you too much trouble, but," he smiled weakly, "judging from your past experience, you will have no problems without me." Rick nodded, dimly understanding what he was trying to get across. Ardeth looked at him one more time, then walked across the room and gathered his sparse belongings. Rick watched him in silence, still angry enough to do something unreasonable if his temper was not carefully managed. As the emotionally drained Arab slung his swords over his shoulder, he began to trudge slowly towards the door, avoiding Rick's eyes. "Goodbye, Rick O'Connell. May Allah keep me away from you and your family." Rick stared out Ardeth's window as he heard the door open and close gently. After a some long seconds of numbness, Rick turned around abruptly and headed for his own room.


	7. Evil's Name

Evy was dreaming. She was holding Rick in her arms, kissing him passionately. However, her handsome husband seemed to keep changing into Ardeth Bay and slowly back again as if both people were rolled into one unstable body. To make matters worse, the room was revolving. As her desire evaporated into her soggy brain, she and Rick/Ardeth finally parted. She traced his jaw with her finger. "I'll see you upstairs," she whispered to him breathlessly. Rick/Ardeth smiled and leaned in impossibly close, inhaling her scent. "You will indeed…" he whispered into her ear. She smiled softly, having a hard time keeping her eyes open, and made her wobbly way up the stairs, quite a feat in a spinning room. Suddenly she opened her eyes. "Rick?" she asked, suddenly, inexplicably worried. She sat up. Rick was sitting in the chair next to their bed. "Hey, honey," he said lovingly. "How'd you sleep?" As he spoke, she became aware of a terrible headache. "Ooh, just awful." She squeezed her eyes shut, then opened them. "I had too much to drink again, didn't I?" she asked ruefully.

Rick held up his finger and thumb and gave her a smile. "Just a little." She shook her head hopelessly. Would she never learn to tolerate alcohol? "I didn't do anything stupid, did I?" she asked half-jokingly. She watched Rick hesitate. Uh-oh, she thought. "Well…" he hedged, "aside from kissing Ardeth, no, not much." She blinked. She must have misheard. Then she remembered her dream. "Oh, dear…" she whispered, stunned. "I really did have too much to drink…" She looked down at the mussed sheets before her. "Did I… was it… were you there?" Of course he was there. He had just told her about it, hadn't he? Her husband nodded. "Yeah." Evy bit her lip. She felt horrible. "Oh, Rick…" she got out of bed and went over to hug him tightly. "I am so, so sorry," she started. "Don't be, Evy." Rick had already forgiven her. "We both know it wasn't your fault." "I love you," said Evy, meaning it more than ever at this demonstration of tolerance. "Love you too," said Rick, still holding her. Evy thought of something. "Where is Ardeth?" 

Rick let go and looked at her inscrutably. "He's gone." Evy blinked. "What? Why?" Rick shrugged, still not quite willing to let the incident go as far as Ardeth was concerned. "He needed some time alone, I guess." Evy looked at him, then nodded. "I suppose I understand that. But…" she began to think of the consequences of his absence. "How will we find Ashëla without him? How will we know where to find the Book? How will we-" She was starting to get upset. "Evy," Rick interrupted her. "Evy, honey… Ardeth isn't the only one with a brain chock-full of Egyptian facts." He looked at her meaningfully. "We can figure it out." Evy stared at him, then smiled a little sheepishly. "I suppose I was being a bit silly, wasn't I…" She suddenly turned and headed for the closet. "Well, then, let's go, right away!" Rick stood up, watching her rummage through their things. "Uh, Evy? Where are we going?" She turned around, all smiles, with a hat and bag in her hands. "To the library!"

In the stuffy Cairo Library, Evy, Rick, and a barely-awake Alex were flipping through a large pile of books. The librarian had been a little annoyed that the O'Connells had removed an entire shelf of books and had spread them across the table, sorting through the useful ones. He hovered nearby now, watching with a glower as Evy talked to Rick quietly. "I thought we'd start with the villains we've already met, just to make sure that this isn't some kind of chain reaction that we started by killing something or other." She was standing behind Alex, who was sitting and sleepily turning the pages of _A Child's Guide to Ancient Egypt_. Rick was standing next to her, arms crossed, just a little out of his league in an area with so many books. She showed him the book she was looking at. "Now, you see, Imhotep isn't in very many books at all. I noticed this earlier, but I attributed it to the small selection of the British Museum. I would surmise, then, that Imhotep went to some lengths to remove himself from history to ensure that if and when he got a chance to regenerate, no one would know how to defeat him." "But he didn't count on us," Rick said proudly, mentally grumbling. Evy had gone into her 'librarian mode', and was showing signs of the same manner that had bewildered him when he had first met her.

"No, he didn't," Evy replied, not really listening. "That leaves us," she said, putting down the historical volume and picking up a book of myths, "with-" "Oh, not _him_," groaned Rick to the startled irritation of the prim librarian, "The Scorpion King?" "Exactly," Evy said with relish. She turned some pages and read for a moment. Then she frowned. "Well, this is odd," she said. "What?" Rick leaned over her shoulder. "Well, according to popular myth, it would appear that the Scorpion King was, ah- married." "_Married_?" said Rick unbelievingly. "That monster?" Evy nodded, intent on the book. "Mhmm," she said, "to a priestess named Merserqet. It means 'beloved of the Scorpion Goddess'." Her finger traced the cartouche in a picture next to the small-print title. "How appropriate," said Rick ironically. "Quite. It also appears that she had an unusual power given to her by her patron goddess, Serqet… by drinking the blood of any one person, she was said to be able to _turn into_ an exact replica of that person!" Her surprise was borne of the familiarity of the description. 

"I think we may have found Ashëla. Oh, look- there's an inscription below her cartouche…" Evy studied the photocopied hieroglyphics for a moment. "'When… my Lord lives out his second life, so I will live… again." She and Rick looked at each other. "Well," Rick said, raising his eyebrows. "That's a pretty clear explanation of why she's alive and kicking in the nineteen-hundreds." Evy was frowning slightly. "But Serqet is- _was_ a benevolent goddess. Why would she allow her favored one to be so evil?" Rick shrugged and starting putting books in neater piles. "Maybe she doesn't know what Merserqet is doing," he suggested. Evy stared at him, a slow smile lighting up her face. "Rick, darling… I think you just solved our problem." She grinned and closed the book, helping Rick organize the table. "I did?" asked Rick rhetorically as his son slowly slumped over his book, asleep.

Ardeth rode his camel hard, almost to the camp of his Med-jai. He had ridden the ungainly beast nearly to exhaustion, trying hard to get home before noon. He was doing fine, he realized, looking up at the sun. It was nearly noon, and he was nearly home. He slowed the wheezing camel and rode at a statelier pace over the last dune. His expectant gaze looked over the sands and met with- nothing. He blinked. There were no Med-jai in his camp, no horses, no camels… not even any tents. He looked in disbelief at the empty, sprawling campground, devoid of any trace of his kinsmen save the stone-lined campfire, long since put out. Any footprints had been smoothed over by the desert wind. He wheeled his camel around, spurring it to gallop around. Finally, convinced that there was truly no one there, he shook his fist at the sky. "Ashëla!" he shouted hatefully. There was no doubt in his mind of the cause of this disaster. His men had been told not to move until he returned, and the only person he knew besides himself that was Ardeth Bay was his own Ashëla. He looked up at the white, hot sun. "Have you no mercy?!" he cried to Allah. Suddenly a whisper spoke to him tantalizingly. 

He twisted around, neck craning to see who was speaking. There was no one around for miles. The whisper traced the air, stronger, now recognizable as a female voice speaking in Ancient Egyptian. He knew what that meant. " Ashëla," he called. "Where are my men?" The whisper grew to a clear speaking voice, and a light wind played with his hair. He put a hand on the back of his head. "I desire you to stop calling me by that detestable foreign name," Ashëla ordered imperiously in the old tongue. Ardeth felt severely handicapped, not being able to see his enemy. He felt as if she could sneak up and stab him at any moment. "My name… is not Ashëla…" she continued silkily. "I am _Merserqet_… and you would do well to call this goddess by her true name." The air cupped around his arm and caressed his shoulder. He jerked it away. "I know you," he replied steadily, although this revelation worried him greatly, "and you are no goddess." The voice hissed and the wind bit at him viciously, almost pushing him off of his oblivious camel. He grabbed the reins and straightened himself. "You are a parasite!" he declared, bracing himself. The wind did not come. Merserqet laughed lightly. "It matters not what you think of me," she told him in honeyed tones. "I have won… won… won…" her echo faded away as the voice and wind took their leave of Ardeth. He turned his camel and slapped it quickly, riding towards Heliopolis once more. He would have time later to discover the location of the Med-jai. At the moment, he had a more important task: warn Rick and the beautiful Evy of this new danger to the O'Connells, and indeed, the rest of the world as well.


	8. The Scorpion King

Evy knelt in front of the low table in Ardeth's empty room. In front of her was a small, gilt statue of the goddess Serqet and an imitation scroll depicting a prayer to the deity. Several candles of different shapes and colors were lit, releasing smoky perfume into the air. The window curtain had been let down, making the whole scene dimly surreal, like some sort of cult worshipping. Rick stood behind her with Alex, staring at her setup with one eyebrow raised. "Evy, was it really necessary to buy this stuff?" Evy lit the last candle and shook the match to put it out, setting the rest aside. "Yes, actually, it was." Evy placed her hands in front of her, trying to sense if the setup was just right. "Serqet is used to being called on in a temple with gold and jewels surrounding her. The least we can do is show that we made an effort to do the same." Rick was still very skeptical. "How can you be sure that Serqet even exists? I mean, we found her in a myth book." Evy rolled her eyes and turned to look at him. "Rick, darling, you're not thinking. After everything you've seen, how can you even begin to think that she _doesn't_ exist? Anubis exists, doesn't he?" And with that, she turned around. 

"Really, Dad," put in Alex, "You've battled a high priest from four thousand years ago and seen spells from an ancient book performed. You've been to two mythical locations and had a fight to the death with a completely nonexistent king who is a huge, impossible scorpion from the waist-down. Add some zombie pygmies and an ancient, secret society that doesn't exist either, and by now, you should pretty much be a believer of everything from gods to the tooth fairy." Rick looked at his intelligent son in resignation. "How can I argue with an eight-year-old that knows words I've never heard of?" He ruffled Alex's hair. "I really wish you wouldn't do that, Dad," complained Alex. Rick shook his head. "Just deal with it 'til you're eighteen and moved out of the house." Alex rolled his eyes. "Shush!" Evy reprimanded. "I'm going to start." The O'Connell men looked at her. "What exactly are you doing again?" She sighed and twisted around. "I'm going to call upon Serqet, tell her what Merserqet is doing, and plead her help. As simple as that. Try not to talk while I'm performing the ritual!" she said accusingly. The boys looked at her innocently. She turned and closed her eyes. 

She began to speak in slightly faltering Ancient Egyptian. "Lady Serqet, Mistress of the Scorpion, Protector in the Afterlife, I call on you now to come to our aid." She repeated the impromptu request until a gentle breeze came from nowhere and blew out the candles. A sweet, musical voice replied in the same language, "Who has requested aid of Serqet?" Evy started, surprised to hear the answer so soon. "I am Evelyn Carnahan O'Connell," she answered excitedly. Behind her, Rick and Alex exchanged a look. They couldn't hear anything. "Evelyn… speak," commanded the goddess gently. Evy took a deep breath. "I come to you to bring you news of your favored one, Merserqet. She has deceived you." The breeze came back and circled the room in reaction. "She has used her gifts to promote evil ends, my Lady." The patient voice of the eternal goddess said, "How can I trust the words of one who holds secrets from even herself?" Evy frowned in surprise and a bit of indignation. "Mistress, I do not lie!" Inside she was a little unsettled by Serqet's words. What does it mean when a goddess tells you that you have secrets? I don't have secrets, she told herself for self-comfort. "Oh, my child, but you do," Serqet replied to her unspoken thought. "Do not fear. They will reveal themselves in time." 

Changing the subject, Serqet continued, "What say you of my loyal servant?" Evy was feeling very unsettled. No one was supposed to be able to read your thoughts. She swallowed. "Merserqet has used your gifts to steal the Book of the Dead from where we had hidden it for safekeeping. We believe she will use it to raise the Scorpion King. Combining the powers of her Lord, the Book, and your gifts, she intends to persuade Anubis to raise his army once more. Or so we believe," she added hurriedly. She hoped to her own god that her family's theory was correct. There was silence for a moment. "What you say is true," sighed Serqet. "I have looked into my beloved's thoughts and seen evil." The melodic voice trailed off thoughtfully. It resumed after just a moment. "She asked me a time ago for the power to regenerate her Lord, the Scorpion King. She convinced me that he would do no evil as long as he was with her. I have already given her the power to raise him. She chants as we speak." Evy looked at her family in alarm. "Then we must stop her, Lady! Can't you break off the spell?" "No, my good child, I cannot," said Serqet firmly. "That would be a terrible breach of etiquette between Gods. Merserqet speaks directly with Anubis now. My beloved cannot be stopped in this; she _will_ raise her Lord. However," she added with a thought, "if one can be found with the strength to defeat the Scorpion King once more…" Evy realized what that meant. "Oh, no," she said. She sighed. "Then I suppose we can send him and his army back to the Underworld again." "Indeed," replied Serqet. 

Evy sighed again and furrowed her brows, trying to think of a plan. "Mistress… where is Merserqet now?" Serqet replied, "My beloved stands at the former place of Ahm Shere, chanting to Anubis and her Lord's spirit." Evy thought. "Does she have the Book of the Dead?" "Yes." Evy nodded. "Coud you get us there before the ritual is complete?" Serqet laughed lightly. "Of course I can, my child." Evy remembered the string attached to this venture. "And can you protect us from the one who will rise again?" "You do not speak of the Scorpion King," stated the Goddess. "No, mistress," replied Evy. "This I will do for you, child," said Serqet. "But I cannot take you to Ahm Shere until the other arrives." Evy didn't understand. "He is coming now." Her voice took on an amused tone. "He has secrets as well…" Evy had absolutely no idea what Serqet was talking about, but she had a suspicion about who was coming. She turned towards the door just as Ardeth burst in. "Rick! Evy!" he gasped. "Ashëla is Merserqet, the Scorpion King's-" "We know," Evy cut in calmly. "Her goddess and I are forming a plan." 

She turned away from the bewildered Ardeth and back to the impromptu altar. "Is this the other?" she asked in Ancient Egyptian. "Yes," Serqet said. Out of sudden curiosity, Evy asked, "What is his secret?" She glanced at Ardeth, who was still standing in the doorway. He could not understand Ancient Egyptian. Serqet tsked. "I cannot tell you that, child." Her invisible breeze circled Ardeth, who shivered and looked around. He was keeping silent because Rick and Alex were. "He may tell you himself, when he realizes it. But come," she said abruptly, "let us go to the place of Ahm Shere." The breeze grew stronger, whipping Evy's hair, until it was roaring through the room. Evy found herself being lifted by the gale-force wind, carried out the open window and far beyond. She heard all of the boys yelling, and she shouted, "It's all right! We're going to Ahm Shere to raise Imhotep!" "Oh, _great_," Rick yelled sarcastically as Ardeth shouted, "What?!" Evy laughed as they flew over the city of Cairo. The sunset was to their left, setting the sky at a glow. There were many people on the streets below, but for some reason no one noticed the four people flying through the air above their heads.

Alex quickly got used to their new traveling style and started pretending to be a plane, making motor sounds as they flew. Rick soon followed his son's example, and they both pretended to be fighter planes flying over a war. Evy could only laugh. Ardeth could only stare in awe as the city fell away to smooth sand. "Allah," he breathed in wonder. Evy twisted her head to look at him. "No," she corrected, smiling, "Serqet." He looked at her, with her arms spread out and her hair streaming like some sort of angelic bird. With some effort he tore his gaze away to stare at the rapidly moving ground once more. Sand slithered under them in wind-swept patterns, and after about three minutes of flying, the depression that had been Ahm Shere came into view. 

There was a tiny figure gesturing on the ground- and the swirling presence of Anubis was listening before her. They slowed down and landed just within earshot of the figure, who at closer range became known as Merserqet. The Book of the Dead was at her feet. The four adventurers hid behind a convenient sand dune. "What is she saying?" whispered Rick to Evy. She listened for a moment. "She's begging- now _demanding_ that Anubis grant her Lord life." Merserqet was strikingly similar to Anck-su-namun, both in appearance and temperament, it seemed. Serqet whispered in Evy's ear, "I must go. If Anubis finds me here, he will be quite vexed. Do not fear!" The voice grew fainter. "I will protect you." And then she was gone. Evy sighed. "Serqet is no longer with us," she whispered. "We must do this on our own."

Quickly she filled the men in on her plan. "We cannot steal the Book until she has finished her ritual. When she has finished, she will be concentrating on the Scorpion King, so we have a better chance of succeeding. We must have perfect timing, I think. Ardeth, you distract Merserqet while I steal the Book. Rick, you distract the Scorpion King." Rick shook his head. "No problem," he said facetiously. "What do I do?" asked Alex. "Hide behind the dune," replied Evy firmly. "No buts!" Just then a hissing sound filled the air, and everyone turned to see Anubis' spirit dissipating. There was a deep, loud rumbling, and a tear opened in the ground. The hole opened wider and a translucent Scorpion King shot out, roaring triumphantly. "Almost…" whispered Evy. "Where are the claws and stingers?" Rick asked in a low voice. Ardeth whispered, "Anubis gave him those powers, and so he took them away. Anubis would not waste his gifts on a failed servant. He is mortal now, just as Imhotep was." Rick shrugged. "Well, at least it won't be as bad as last time." Ardeth shook his head. "Do not be so sure. The Scorpion King's fighting prowess is legendary." In the strangeness and anticipation of their adventure, Ardeth and Rick had forgotten for the moment that they did not want to talk to each other. Merserqet read a paragraph from the Book of the Dead without looking up, and with every word, the Scorpion King became a little clearer, a little better defined, until the man was standing there, breathing in satisfied air. "Now!" Evy shouted.


	9. Resurrection

Rick bolted at full speed towards the Scorpion King, not slowing an inch as he bowled the surprised man over and knocked him down. The both leaped up and put up their fists, the Scorpion King growling as he recognized Rick. Ardeth drew his sword and shouted to get Merserqet's attention, running at her from an angle so that Evy could slip up unnoticed. Merserqet noticed him and scornfully turned to face him fully, dropping the Book to one side. She pulled out a little bottle full of something red. Ardeth stopped and held his sword tensely as she undid the stopper. She drank the contents quickly, tensing herself. Ardeth moved a step back apphrehensively. Merserqet doubled over suddenly, only half-successfully repressing a scream. The Scorpion King looked over, worried, allowing Rick to punch him. Furiously he turned back to the battle and kicked Rick in the knee. Ardeth gasped as the soul he knew so well tore away from her trembling body and reshaped itself. As it soaked back in, her body shuddered into a new shape and she stood. Ardeth froze. He could not have moved if he tried. 

The woman who faced him now took a step forward, extending her hands. "Lover," she pleaded softly. Ardeth tried to tell himself that this was not Ashëla, that the woman he loved had never existed, but his brain could not make his body obey. Helplessly he took a step forward. His sword sagged in his limp hand. Meanwhile, Evy, seeing his struggle, quickly grabbed the Book from where she was crouching behind Merserqet. Once it was in her hands, she whispered in Ancient Egyptian, "Mistress, it is done! Take us-" Before she had even finished, the wind roared back and they were all swept away, leaving Merserqet shouting furiously. Rick threw in one last punch before he was whisked away from the irate Scorpion King. Merserqet threw up her hands. "Mistress! Why have you abandoned me?" she called in the old tongue. There was no reply. Instead, the golden-red light of Serqet's power shot from the dying sun to consume Merserqet. Her soul was magnified and doubled, and she shrieked in pain and loss and Serqet roughly withdrew her powers. She was left in her original state, yelling hoarsely. This transformation shocked Ardeth awake as they sailed away. The Scorpion King ran to help his queen and shouted in Egyptian, "You are too late! Anubis has already granted me my one true power! My army will destroy you!" He held Merserqet close as they vengefully watched the adventurers fly rapidly away. "Friendly guy, huh?" Rick yelled over the howling of the wind.

Back in the inn room, Alex was exclaiming over their trip. "Whoa, Mum, that was awesome! Let's do it again sometime!" Evy smiled indulgently. "Maybe, dear." She held out the Book of the Dead. "Time for a little reunion!" She put it on the table and searched her pockets for the key. "I usually keep it with me…" she muttered. "Rick, do you-" He proffered the spiky, octagonal box. "I've got it, hon." She smiled and took it from him. "Well, this brings back memories," she said as she twisted the key in the lock. The Book sprang open. "All right," she said. "We're in business. Now…" she leafed through the Book. Ardeth shifted uncomfortably. "Are you sure this is absolutely necessary?" he asked. "It goes against the very purpose of the Med-jai." Evy nodded. "Yes," she said, "it is. Imhotep is the only person strong enough to defeat the Scorpion King." "What about me?" asked Rick. Then he considered his logic. "Why am I arguing?" he asked himself, and shut his mouth. Alex asked, "Don't we need his body?" Evy shook her head, still turning pages in the Book. "No, Serqet said that she would take care of that."

Ardeth listened to Evy and her family talking about the revival of the Creature as if they were discussing the weather. He was very uneasy with having to sit passively while the one thing he spent his whole life trying to prevent came to pass. Evy began slowly, carefully reading familiar words from the Book, ending with, "Eadue! Eadue!" His eyes widened as the very air in the room began to form the High Priest of Seti the First. The Creature was spun from nothing as a tapestry from thread. Ardeth involuntarily took a step forward, fighting with his ingrained instincts. Imhotep looked around wildly, startled to be somewhere besides the Pit of the Underworld. He saw Rick, and hissed, "You…" in Ancient Egyptian. Evy stepped next to Rick and held his hand. The pain Imhotep exhibited at this simple gesture startled both of them. "Why do you torment me thus?" he cried brokenly. "For the sake of Ra, _let me sleep_!" Ardeth stared, shaken. He did not understand the words, but he knew what he was saying just the same. He had just heard his own self-loathing echoed by his eternal enemy. Evy cleared her throat and spoke in English. "No, Imhotep, you many not sleep. For the Scorpion King has risen again, and only you can defeat him." Imhotep turned and looked out the window. "I have no wish," he said through clenched teeth, "to fight him." Evy looked at the others, at a loss. She suggested hesitantly, "For the sake of Anck-su-namun?" 

He snapped around and snarled at Evy, coming at her. Rick and Ardeth leapt forward in alarm, but whatever shield Serqet had given them held. Imhotep could not touch them. Angrily he stood a bit apart. "Do not mention that name. It-" he was both hurting and angry, a bad combination, Ardeth knew. "She betrayed me. Mentioning her is _no reason_ for me to agree." Just speaking about it was hard for him. "Why should I help you?" he said suddenly, regaining some of his former arrogance. Evy didn't know what to say. What reason did he have to help them? Alex shifted uncomfortably, and Imhotep noticed him for the first time. A bare ghost of a smile touched his face. "'My dad's going to kick your ass," he remembered. Evy looked at him in astonishment, then turned to look at Alex. "Did you say that to him?" Alex was puzzled. "Say what?" Imhotep almost laughed. "Your son is an irritating child." Evy shook her head, amazed. "Alex, you told Imhotep that Rick would kick his arse?" "Well, it was true!" Alex exclaimed. "And you did, didn't you, Dad?" Rick shifted. "Well, uh…" he obviously didn't want to discuss his defeat of Imhotep right in front of him. Imhotep glared at Rick, but he almost smiled again when he saw Alex glaring at him. Ardeth noticed how tolerant he was of the child, and thought that perhaps Imhotep thought of Alex as the child that he and Anck-su-namun could have had. It would make sense, from what he knew of the Creature.

Suddenly Imhotep's eyes found Ardeth's. "Med-jai," he spat. Ardeth bared his teeth, not trusting himself to speak. Imhotep turned back to Evy, turning his nose up to Ardeth. Ardeth clenched his fists. "What will I get if I help you?" Imhotep asked Evy haughtily. She thought for a moment. She saw Ardeth and Imhotep glare out of the corners of their eyes, and suddenly she noticed how similar they were. "You will get a distraction," she said intuitively. "Something to take your mind off… things. And after that, you will have eternal sleep once more." Imhotep looked at her for a long moment. Then he nodded slowly. "I will meet the Scorpion King in battle." Evy smiled happily, then restrained herself. "Thank you, Imhotep." Ardeth let out a quiet breath he hadn't known he had been holding. He suddenly noticed suddenly that Imhotep would not look at Rick. Alex said excitedly, "I can't wait to see the battle!" A smile flitted across Imhotep's face. "I do not believe your parents will want you there, little one." Alex glared at him for a moment, then turned to Evy. "Can I go, Mum?" "No." "Aww, Mum, you're no fun!" Evy shook her head firmly. "That's just too bad, Alex, because there's no way I'm letting you join a battle that could hurt you!" Alex looked down. "I guess…" 

Out of the corner of her eye, Evy saw Imhotep kneel. She turned and saw him taking a thread from his loincloth. "What-" she started, but he ignored her and started to mutter, passing his hand over the thread. She fell silent and watched. The thread twisted into a circle, stretching and expanding. Then it filled in like a painted, turning into a hand-sized mirror. Imhotep gave the mirror to a surprised Alex. "You will be able to see what happens through this glass," he told him. To his parents, he explained, "I still have the more harmless of my powers." Evy gave him an unsure smile; Rick said nothing. Alex gasped, looking into his mirror. "Whoa! I see the Scorpion King and that lady! There's a hundred million walking dogs behind them!" Rick and Evy exchanged glances. "That's our cue," Rick said. Evy closed her eyes and spoke to Serqet in Egyptian. "Mistress, we have the one who has risen again. May we be transported once more?" The musical voice replied serenely, "Yes, my child. But this must be the last time. I have already pushed the barriers of etiquette." As she spoke, the familiar breeze hurtled through the window like a rambunctious child. It blew around the room and gathered the four adults. "Bye, Mum!" called Alex. "Bye, Dad!" He watched their progress in his mirror as they disappeared from sight.


	10. Triumph

Imhotep did not appear to be surprised by this turn of events; Ardeth guessed that he had spent his whole life knowing and trusting the power of the Gods. Evy was enjoying herself thoroughly, he saw, closing her eyes to feel the breeze. Now Ardeth wished he had not looked at her, for he could not look away. _So beautiful_, he thought with a strange ache, not noticing Rick looking at him coldly. In no time at all, the landscape stopped moving abruptly, disorienting the travelers. Ardeth looked out into the night, feeling a chill at the all-too-familiar sight of the impossible stretch of Anubis warriors. He was a little afraid that they would see the small party, but he supposed somewhat nervously that the Goddess was handling it. They all floated to the ground. "Here we go again," said Rick. "No cue this time," said Evy. "Good luck!" Ardeth, having thought about it during the flight, reluctantly handed Imhotep one of his swords. Not realizing the full import of the gesture, Imhotep pushed it away. "I will use no Med-jai sword," he said. Ardeth threw it on the ground next to him. "It is the only sword available. Take it or don't." He walked away. Imhotep stared at the sword for a moment, then stooped and grabbed it. 

He took a deep breath and shouted his defiance to the Scorpion King, who was busy addressing his army with Merserqet. The ancient warrior whipped around and after a stunned look, shouted back. Merserqet turned after a moment. Imhotep faltered in his steady approach. "Anck-su-namun?" he whispered. Ardeth once again saw an echo of himself. He shook the man viciously. "No," he said. "That is Merserqet, beloved of the Scorpion King." Imhotep moved his head, shaking off his delusion, and continued to advance. Ardeth looked down, trying to prepare himself, but then continued forward. Rick and Evy split up to help their allies; Rick with Imhotep, Evy with Ardeth. The titanic army raced forward eagerly, only to halt as the Scorpion King commanded, "Niy!" He raised his hand to the endless sheet of warriors. "This is my battle alone!" he roared in slightly accented Ancient Egyptian. "Well, that's convenient," muttered Rick as he and Imhotep ran toward the Scorpion King. Imhotep nodded as they both arrived within fighting distance of the King, who bellowed and ran towards them, drawing a huge blade from his belt. With a terrible clang the warriors met, Rick with his bare hands and Imhotep with Ardeth's sword. The Scorpion King was a perfect match for the both of them put together. He thrust and slashed furiously, skilled and powerful. It was frightening to be up against him, but Imhotep and Rick had to keep going. Imhotep did most of the fighting, while Rick dodged in and punched wherever he felt he wouldn't get chopped into little pieces. They made almost no sound, besides the groans and cries that fighting usually produced.

Ardeth muttered to Evy as they approached the waiting Merserqet, "I don't want you to fight her. I must face her alone." Evy continued to walk with him. "I'm - helping - you," she murmured back redoubtably. Ardeth was surprised by the vehemence in her voice, but he did not argue. He focused on the smirking woman standing in wait. When he came within earshot, she said condescendingly, "Ardeth." He nodded drawing his sword. "Merserqet." She was upon him before he had time to blink, slashing, ducking, slender sword darting through the air. He had no time to be startled, instead blocking and stabbing as best he could. Evy joined the fray with the identical knives she used at Ahm Shere. Ardeth had not known she kept them. Ardeth knew that he was a better fighter than both women, but something was holding him back. "What's wrong, Ardeth?" sneered Merserqet in English as she thrust her sword towards his head. He jerked aside as she said, "Afraid to kill your love?" He snarled in rage and his sword zinged through the air. It was all Merserqet could do not to be decapitated. He knew that he was fighting full force, now, and it relieved him greatly. The two battles raged while thousands of dog-headed warriors watched, wanting greatly to participate.

Ardeth could barely see straight, though he was trying hard to keep a clear head. Thrust, parry, thrust, parry. He hated her so much- but some part of him loved her, too, although it was ridiculous to have feelings for the imitator of his beloved. Thrust, parry, thrust, parry. Both of these emotions were fueling him onward, but he was tiring quickly from the extreme adrenaline flow. Thrust, parry, thrust, parry. He hoped that he would not have to leave Evy alone against her. That thought gave him a fresh energy rush, and he furiously stabbed at her waist. Merserqet gave a loud cry and crumpled to the ground. Had he not been so blinded by the battling, he would have noticed that she wasn't really hurt, that he hadn't touched her at all- but he did not notice, and neither did Evy. A few feet away, mid-stroke, The Scorpion King turned at her cry. "Merserqet!" he shouted. Then he stiffened in shock as Imhotep took the opportunity to run his sword through the King's stomach. He opened his mouth in surprise, looking at Imhotep, then stretched a hand towards his apparently dead wife. "Merserqet…" he whispered, and fell to the ground. They all watched as he dissolved into black sand. There was a vast rumbling as the entire army of Anubis collapsed into dust as well. Imhotep and Rick stared at the now-empty desert, then looked at each other. Rick half grinned. "That wasn't that hard," he joked. Imhotep smiled a bit as well. Imhotep joined the group as Rick went over to kiss Evy. "We did it again, hon," he said. Evy giggled. "We saved the world, darling." They continued kissing.

Alex watched his parents kiss. "Oh, come _on,_" he said disgustedly. They just never quit, not even right after life-threatening battles. Then he noticed something strange. The woman that Ardeth had killed- Merserqet, he thought- was getting up. Everybody had their backs to her; nobody noticed that she wasn't dead. Now she was drawing a slim, glittering knife from inside her Egyptian robes. Alex gasped. Was she trying to kill someone? She approached Rick from behind. "Dad!" he shouted futilely, "Watch out!"

Imhotep's head snapped around. He had heard the child, Alex, calling to Rick. How- then he saw Merserqet, standing, knife raised. Forgetting the child, he leaped towards her and grabbed her arm just before she stabbed Rick. "Death to Med-jai!" she shouted in Egyptian as she tried to strike. Everyone turned as she furiously fought against Imhotep, who had wrapped his arms around her waist, trapping her arms to her sides. "Let me go!" she cried angrily in their language. "I do not think so, treacherous one," he said in the same tongue. Ardeth was astonished. "I killed you," he protested. She gave him a withering look as she continued to struggle. Rick let out a quick breath. "Thanks," he told Imhotep, who replied shortly, "Thank your son." Back in the inn room, Alex cheered. Merserqet twisted to face Imhotep furiously, then stopped as she saw him. He stared right back at her. She opened her mouth to speak, then closed it. He smiled briefly. Suddenly the dark beam of Anubis shot out of the sky and hit them both, still looking at each other. They were both dragged back to the afterlife in less than a second. Alex's mirror disintegrated into nothing but a thread. "What?" he exclaimed. "That's cheap."

Rick looked after where the two Ancient Egyptians had disappeared. "You don't think…" he asked his companions distastefully. Did Merserqet and Imhotep fancy each other? Evy shook her head. "I don't know. Anything's possible…" Rick shook off that thought with a shiver. "Yuck." Evy giggled and started to call on Serqet. "Oh, Mistress…" then she stopped. "Oh." "What?" asked Rick and Ardeth at the same time. Evy smiled apologetically. "I forgot. We have to walk home." They stared at her in disbelief. She shrugged. "I suppose at the nearest city, they can transport us to Cairo." Rick shook his head. "What kind of Goddess can't take us back?" he asked. "Just take us halfway and leave us to die, is that it?" He continued to complain as they trudged across the desert. Ardeth and Evy both ignored him.


	11. Infatuation

Evy was dreaming. She was standing on nothing, it seemed, totally surrounded by deepest black. Serqet's voice rippled through the darkness. "Secrets, my child… secrets… secrets…" Her voice faded as Ardeth appeared in the blackness, which gave way to the bar downstairs. Evy was kissing him again, but she was not drunk this time. Rick was screaming at her to stop, pleading that he loved her, but she didn't care. They both ignored Rick as she ran a hand through Ardeth's black hair, and- Evy bolted awake in a cold sweat. She looked at Rick, still asleep beside her, and got out of bed. She put her face in her hands and tried to slow her racing heartbeat. Why would she have that sort of dream? Why? It was disturbing to think about. She had to talk to Ardeth. Quietly she padded out of the room and opened Ardeth's door without knocking. He was sitting in the only chair in the room, sharpening his sword with a dully glittering stone, dressed in his usual sparse sleeping outfit. At her entrance he looked up. "Evelyn," he said in surprise. She closed the door and went to sit on his bed. Then she stood, too unsettled to sit still. 

"I think I am taken with you," she said. There was no point in dodging the issue. He put down his sharpener. "Evy, you have a husband," he said quietly. She shook her head impatiently. "Nothing about you could change how I feel about Rick. That isn't the point." She began to pace a bit. "The point is that I also feel a small something for you." She tried to emphasize 'small' without insulting him. "I don't want to hurt Rick. That is the worst thing that could ever happen to me." She stopped pacing and looked at him. "That is why I'm telling you now." He looked at her expressionlessly. "Ardeth," she said seriously, "do you feel anything for me?" He put down his sword. "No," he said. She looked at him hard, and didn't believe it. He was avoiding her eyes. "Ardeth," she said. He shook his head. "I don't, Evy. What do you want me to say?" He picked up his sword again and started to sharpen it. He was definitely avoiding her eyes. Evy pursed her lips in frustration. Ardeth was being stubborn. She knew that shutting away emotions only made things worse, but he wasn't listening to her. She also knew that he could say 'no' until she fell asleep asking.

She stood there for a moment. She already knew the answer to her question. It was more than obvious; it had been since perhaps before the bar incident. How could she make him admit it? The only way she could kill her little infatuation was to talk it out with him. And he would not talk. Ardeth looked up from his sword, which was more than sharp enough already. "Was that all, Evelyn?" The way he said it, Evy knew that he thought she'd given up. "No," she said, "it's not." She took a step towards him, an idea forming in her mind. It made her nervous, but as far as she could see, it was the only way. Ardeth looked at her apprehensively. "Evy, what-?" She continued to walk towards him. Then his eyes widened and he knew what she was doing. He swept his sword and sharpener away and got out of the chair, edging back. Evy would have laughed if she hadn't been nervous. He was acting like she was the Scorpion King risen again. His hand found a wall and he was trapped in a corner. Evy was between him and the door. She took a deep breath and closed in on him. "Evy, n-" he was cut off as she kissed him. 

The moment her lips touched his she knew that she had made a terrible mistake. She had not counted on _how much_ he wanted her. She had supposed that he felt the same as she did, nothing more than a childish crush. How wrong she had been. She had thought he was avoiding her arbitrarily, and hadn't really thought why he would not discuss it. Now, so close to him, able to all but smell his lust, she knew that he would not have been able to help himself. He had been protecting her- and now she may have opened the floodgates. Quickly she withdrew her touch. He was standing stiff as a board, hands clenched, eyes never leaving her face. Now she could see it without even touching him. He had not been exaggerating when he had said he fell hard and fast; it was terrifying to see his inner struggle. And she suddenly knew that every second she stayed took him closer to losing the battle.

She turned to go, but her hand was caught. She turned and saw that Ardeth was holding her wrist as if he would never let it go. Oh, no, she thought softly, and then he was kissing her, pushing her against the wall. One hand was on her neck, the other on her waist as he kissed her, panting heavily. "Ardeth," she said through his kisses, "Ardeth!" Her voice seemed to wake him and he froze, body still pressed against hers. Then with a strangled cry he violently pulled away from her, slamming into the wall and sliding down, hands clutching his head. She gasped for breath, skin burning where he had touched it. He gave a low moan, curling in on himself, trembling. She could hear ragged sobs as he struggled to catch his breath. "Ardeth?" she asked anxiously, touching his shoulder. "_No!"_ he said, jerking away from her fingers. "Stay away!" Evy bit her lip and withdrew her hand. "I'm sorry, Ardeth," she whispered, and left his room.

The next morning Ardeth was gone, or so it seemed- there was nothing in his room, but then, there had been nothing in it when he was living there. Evy felt terrible, both about causing him to leave and about kissing him at all. Rick grumbled about desert-dwellers with no manners, not even saying goodbye, but Evy was not listening. She remembered that she wanted a souvenir of their adventure, so she took them all to the Cairo market. "So what are we looking for?" asked Rick, holding hands with Alex to make sure he didn't get lost. Evy continued to walk. "Evy?" Rick said after a moment. Evy blinked. "What?" Rick looked at her funny. "I said, what are we looking for?" She shook her head. "Oh. Well, I want a statue of Serqet to take home to London." Rick was confused. "Didn't you buy three or so for the altar?" Evy rolled her eyes. "Those were all cheap, darling. I want a _nice_ one that will _last_." Rick shrugged. "Whatever, honey. I think they're all fine." Evy nodded absently and continued to walk. Then she blinked. A familiar figure in black was walking down the street. Evy smiled in relief as she saw that Ardeth had not disappeared after all. She tapped Rick's shoulder. "Look who's here," she said. Ardeth had not noticed them yet.

As they watched, Ardeth got closer and closer. He seemed distracted, even a little depressed. Evy frowned unhappily. Ardeth bumped into a woman carrying a pot of water by accident as he was looking at a stall. He spun around, saying, "Sorry, I-" He stopped. Evy could see the woman's face and it looked familiar. "Ashëla?" he asked in surprise. Ashëla brushed a lock of black hair back from her face. "Do I know you?" she asked politely. Ardeth exhaled shortly. "I… suppose you do not," Evy heard him say. She leaned towards Rick. "This is the original Ashëla," she told him quietly. 

Ardeth was floundering, at a loss for words. "I, uh-" suddenly he stopped. "Would… would you like to meet me… for dinner tonight?" he asked awkwardly. Ashëla smiled. She searched his face, and, apparently liking what she saw, replied shyly, "I'd like that." She looked down, then up at him through her lashes. "Wonderful," she heard him say in relief. "I- meet me at… the inn down the street, I- I'm staying there." He was suddenly shy as well. "Well, ah- goodbye, I'll… see you tonight." He walked away, still looking back at her, and promptly bumped into a stall post. He steadied himself and continued, rubbing his head. Ashëla hid a smile and walked away. Evy quickly turned Rick down another row before Ardeth could see them. "What-" Rick said as she steered them away from Ardeth. "He's happy," she said softly. "Let's leave him that way."

The night was cool and quiet. Ashëla sighed as Ardeth rolled off of her. Her eyes were still closed, her body still tingling. She opened her eyes and rolled onto one side to face him. He kissed her forehead lovingly, smoothing her hair with one hand. She put a hand on his chest, feeling his heartbeat, and whispered, "I have found the perfect man… and had him, all in one night." He put his hand over hers and squeezed. "And I, the perfect woman," he murmured, meaning every word. They looked at each other for a long moment, until Ardeth leaned in to kiss her gently. Ashëla wrapped her arms around him, and they fell together. A few hours later, a half-asleep Ardeth muttered unconsciously, "Evy…" "What?" Ashëla said sleepily, but Ardeth did not answer, for he was already soundly in the world of dreams.


End file.
